TWO WEEKS WITH THE LENOVO LEGION GO

Do detachable controllers make Lenovo’s supersized handheld a worthy take on the Nintendo Switch for PC gamers? Matt Tate spent a fortnight finding out…

£700 /go.stuff.tv/LegionGo

DAY 01

What’s more powerful than the Steam Deck, rocks a larger, higher-res display than the Asus ROG Ally, and sports decidedly Switch-like controllers that can double up as a mouse of sorts for first-person shooters? Lenovo’s shouty new gadget sounds like the best of all worlds –but that knowledge didn’t prepare me for quite how effing big it is.

The Legion Go makes a Steam Deck feel diddy. With its 8.8in display, no PC-based handheld fills my vision quite like this does. However, it makes for a seriously chunky, heavy, and not all that backpack-friendly device. I can already tell it won’t be very comfy for long play sessions. It’s a good job there’s a built-in kickstand for tabletop gaming using the detachable controllers once your forearms need a rest.

Each one is bulky, occupying more of your grip than Ninty’s Joy-Cons. Lenovo has used Hall Effect joysticks, which eliminate the wear that can lead to stick drift, and I like the customisable RGB light rings under each one. Nintendo’s hardware still feels more premium, though. How they detach here isn’t as slick either: rather than sliding them up and off, you hold a small button while pulling down. Still, they come away easily with the right motion.

Flick a switch on the right controller, slide it into the included magnetic dock, and you’ve got a vertical mouse

It’s going to take me a while to memorise the intimidating array of inputs and controls, including multiple programmable back buttons and a small but useful trackpad. My muscle memory has already confused some, and there doesn’t seem to be a way to remap them.

As this is a Windows-based handheld, I’m looking forward to installing all my game launchers without any command-line tinkering of the sort needed to get them running on a Steam Deck. The Ryzen Z1 Extreme CPU and 16GB of RAM promise peak performance, and the Legion Go can also run the anti-cheat tech needed to play games such as Valorant and Fortnite. Still, Valve’s Linux-based OS has its own advantages. Can some heroic hardware make up for them?

Tech specs

Screen 8.8in 2560x1600 144Hz LCD touchscreen

CPU AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme

RAM 16GB

OS Windows 11

Storage 512GB +microSD

Connectivity Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, 2x USB-C, 3.5mm audio

Battery 49.2Wh

Dimensions 299x131x41mm, 854g

DAY 02

This 8.8in whopper of a screen has skinny bezels, 2560x1600 resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, ample brightness and great colour. There’s no HDR or VRR support, though, and it’s an IPS panel. The Steam Deck OLED is just plain easier on the eyes.

DAY 03

Surprise, surprise: running AAA games sips juice faster than a seven-year-old can gulp down Ribena. I easily burned through a full charge in an hour when demanding the highest possible framerates and fidelity. The controllers drain a lot slower, thankfully, so I’ve been switching to tabletop mode whenever I’m dangerously low on charge.

DAY 05

It doesn’t give the Legion Go’s AMD silicon much of a workout, but the original Quake is a perfect test for its FPS mode. Flick a switch on the right controller, slide it into the included magnetic dock, and you’ve got a vertical mouse. It took me a while to get used to the button placement, but soon enough no Scrag or Shambler was safe from my Lightning Gun.

DAY 07

I’ve had a great time playing indie darlings Cocoon and Jusant –but only after some tweaking. Both struggled at 2560p/144Hz, so I had to drop the resolution, refresh rate and detail to get consistent framerates. FSR upscaling is a must for more demanding titles. That doesn’t entirely defeat the point of a high-resolution screen, though, as older games including Burnout Paradise play flawlessly.

DAY 10

The Legion Space software is meant to let you adjust settings on the fly. It’s not very polished, though. You’re forced to use the touchscreen a lot for simple navigation, game art often looks blurry, and it’s hit and hope as to whether games will play well. It’s regularly ignored my refresh rate and resolution adjustments too.

DAY 14

If the best handheld gaming PC were decided on features and specs alone, I’d hand the Legion Go the crown. But software fumbles mean it’s the less powerful, less versatile but more refined Steam Deck OLED that’s staying in my travel bag.